Sakido Mura ( 赤道村 ), An Equatorial Monument as A Japanese Heritage in Indonesia

Many tourists only know that monument of equator in Sumatra Island is only located in Bonjol, but actually there are some other places in Sumatra that also have their own equator monument.

Location of some Equator Monuments in Sumatra Island

I will tell you about another one equator monument in Sumatra Island. This monument located at Koto Alam, a village in Pangkalan Koto Baru district Limapuluh Kota, West Sumatra. The monument look like a ball, many tourists called it as equator ball. Whereas local people called it “Sakido Mura”, a name which audible as Japanese language. Location of monument, Koto Alam, is one of place in equator line.

Equator Monument Sakido Mura

History of Sakido Mura ( 赤道村 )

Based on local information, this monument early was built by Dutch along Dutch East Indies period before independence of Indonesia. But no data have found when is the year of this monument was built firstly. Dutch named it as “Pila”. They built it like a upright monument. I have searched for informations about it in KITLV Library and Tropenmuseum, but i can’t find any documents about this monument. Dutch used “Pila” as an instrument for instruction of wet and dry season, because the monument stand right above zero latitude point of the earth. Every years, in this place happens phenomenon of sun culmination, no shadow when daylight caused by the position of the sun were right above equator.  This phenomenon always happens twice a year, 21 up to 23 on March and 21 up to 23 on September

When World War II period, Dutch leaft Indonesia, then Nippon took their position. Nippon reformed “Pila”, they reconstructed it formed like a ball. They painted Japan flag “Hinomaru” on the ball. Also they changed name of “Pila” became “Sakido Mura” ( 赤道村 ) the meaning is “The Equator Village”.

I try to find some informations about “Sakido Mura” from documents of Dutch or Nippon. But I can’t get it yet. Right now, Sakido Mura become one of local tourist destination in West Sumatra, the government initiated it on September 2013.

Based on travel notes, many tourists visit Sakido Mura every years. They are local and foreign tourists. Usually, the foreign tourists come from Japan (20 up to 30 people a year). They want to witness one of Japanese heritage in Indonesia. Even more, Sakido Mura is a specially building which located at zero latitude point on the earth. This is an amazing experience caused you stand in the middle of earth, between south and north. If you activate GPS in here place, it will shows 00’00″00″‘. Sometimes in daily light your body have no shadows. In the earth, only some states which placed on equator line. Indonesia is the one of them.

Location of Sakido Mura is very strategic, placed at the roadside between Pekanbaru and Bukittingi. About 70 km from Bukittingi (1 hour 10 minutes by car).

Pictures below are Sakido Mura from any years.

A tourist in Sakido Mura when event of Cycling Across Equator in 1991

Sakido Mura in 2003

Sakido Mura about 2005

A Russian in Sakido Mura about 2010

An event in Sakido Mura, March 2013

Foreign bikers in Sakido Mura 2014

Foerign bikers in Sakido Mura 2014

Foreign bikers in Sakido Mura 2014

If you interested to visit Sakido Mura, the monument located in the roadside of Jalan Sumbar – Riau rute. Here is the map.

Position on the map